Blossoms Interviewed: First Manchester, Now The World

For the record, Blossoms hail from Stockport, not Manchester. Yet their frontman Tom Ogden exudes the sort of ambition typically associated with musical legends from the capital of the North. “We just want to be as big as we can,” he says. “We don’t wanna be underground.
We wanna become a big band.”

Tom points out, “There’s no scene in Stockport,” but his group enjoy a devoted following in Manchester, having inherited the streets once owned by The Stone Roses and Oasis. “Every 10 years Manchester produces a great band, and maybe it’s time there’s another one,” he adds. “We’re happy to step up and give people something to believe in.”

There’s Gallagher swag here, though Blossoms’ latest EP ‘Charlemagne’ trades on glittering indie-pop, with more shimmering synths than crunching guitars. The five-piece formed in 2013 and found an unlikely residence in a scaffolding yard owned by bassist Charlie Salt’s grandfather, using a back room as their rehearsal space. “It’s freezing,” says Tom, “but it’s inspired us. We can make as much noise as we want.”

James Skelly from returning indie heroes The Coral is producing the band’s upcoming debut album (Tom promises it’s “full of singles” and reckons it’s due “around summertime”). Skelly was turned on to Blossoms by Alan Wills, owner of Deltasonic Records, who sadly died last year. The Coral singer also produced their ‘Charlemagne’ EP, whose eponymous lead track represents Blossoms’ creative breakthrough.

Tom loves hearing ‘Charlemagne’ at Manchester’s indie clubs. “I’ve been going to those clubs since I was 17, using our drummer’s ID,” he says. “Five years later, we’re playing. It’s surreal.”

Blossoms have already sold out the 2,000-capacity Manchester Albert Hall, where they play in February. Tom may soon find he can’t go clubbing without getting mobbed.

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